Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost has made history by successfully landing on the Moon, delivering NASA’s technology for what promises to be a 14-day scientific mission. The lander, which touched down near Mons Latreille—a volcanic feature within Mare Crisium—marked the first fully successful moon landing by a commercially-built and operated spacecraft, making strides for both the company and NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
The historic landing occurred at 3:34 AM EST on Sunday, March 2, 2025. This momentous achievement is not just Firefly's first Moon landing; it also signifies the infancy of commercial lunar exploration. "This incredible achievement demonstrates how NASA and American companies are leading the way in space exploration for the benefit of all,” remarked NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro.
After lifting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15, Blue Ghost completed more than 2.8 million miles of travel, gathering over 27 GB of data along the way. This included operations like signal tracking at record distances of 246,000 miles, demonstrating the feasibility of using Earth-based GPS technology on the Moon via the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment payload.
During its lunar operation, Blue Ghost is equipped with 10 NASA instruments aimed at exploring various aspects of the lunar environment. The mission's agenda features testing lunar subsurface drilling technology, assessing lunar dust behavior on spacecraft surfaces, and evaluating radiation-resistant computing. Such data captured during this mission will contribute to NASA's plans for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
CEO Jason Kim expressed his gratitude for NASA’s trust, stating, "Blue Ghost’s successful Moon landing has laid the groundwork for the future of commercial exploration across cislunar space.” Comments from the NASA teams also allude to the mutual benefits of this collaboration and the future insights it will facilitate.
One of the primary scientific instruments on board is set to study how lunar landing thrusters disturb the lunar soil, alongside utilizing unique methods for collecting lunar regolith samples. These advancements are pivotal, as they prepare for comprehensive studies and eventual manned missions.
Jean de Lafontaine from NGC Aerospace, whose technology helps calculate precise lunar landings, noted, "There's nothing like making it happen in the real environment of the moon.” His company is one of several participating entities contributing technology to Blue Ghost’s mission.
Notably, the landing was orchestrated autonomously. The lander decelerated from about 3,800 mph to just 2.2 mph before touchdown, with teams at Firefly’s mission control watching anxiously as telemetry indicated the craft was nearing the surface. “You all stuck the landing! We’re on the moon!” exclaimed chief engineer Will Coogan, triggering applause and celebrations from the Firefly team.
This recognition of achievement echoes sentiments shared by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who took to social media to congratulate Firefly Aerospace, acknowledging the significant milestone it represented for public-private space partnerships.
The competitive spirit is also on display, as two other lunar landers are set to follow shortly after. Firefly’s Blue Ghost is anticipated to operate not just during the active lunar day but also potentially for hours during the lunar night. Its mission is expected to include capturing stunning imagery, including lunar sunsets and sunsets, reminiscent of phenomena first documented during the Apollo missions.
What separates this mission from its predecessors, particularly the lunar lander Odysseus which tipped over during its touchdown last year but still managed significant operations afterward, is the upright and stable landing of Blue Ghost. This successful mission emphasizes Firefly's focus on advancements and safety, grounded by contemporary commercial technology.
With the promise of continued lunar exploration and technological advancements, the successful landing of Blue Ghost sets the scene for burgeoning collaborations between space agencies and private companies. The CLPS initiative encourages such partnerships, supporting multiple lunar deliveries with over 50 instruments expected to land on various lunar sites before the decade concludes.
“This shows it is not only governments but also commercial entities contributing to lunar exploration. It’s like democratization of the moon,” adds de Lafontaine, indicating the rapid development and diversification of lunar exploration capabilities.
Looking forward, NASA plans to evaluate the operational data generated from Blue Ghost’s mission, which may provide pivotal insights to inform future endeavors, particularly as astronauts prepare to land near the lunar south pole later this decade. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, stressed the intent to build on the lessons learned from both the Apollo era and current commercial missions.
"We’re sending these payloads by working with American companies—which supports a growing lunar economy," Fox said, highlighting the fruitful exchange and the overall mission goals of advancing human presence beyond Earth.
This bold venture, combining NASA's efforts with commercial capabilities, brings society another step closer to not just returning to the Moon, but establishing sustainable exploration and preparation for eventual missions to Mars. The Blue Ghost mission exemplifies the next generation of lunar endeavors and the position of private companies as integral players in shaping the future of space exploration.